Sunderland beat Crystal Palace to sign Malick Fofana
Quick summary
Sunderland have won the race to sign Malick Fofana, fending off competition from Crystal Palace in a transfer saga described as a 'battle of the private jets.'
Full article
Attributed to original sourceBoth clubs send planes to France to acquire Lyon winger
Sunderland submit deal sheet for £31m transfer
Sunderland and Crystal Palace were involved in an extraordinary deadline-day tug of war that concluded with Malick Fofana agreeing to swap Lyon for the Stadium of Light in a club-record £31m move.
On Tuesday morning it had seemed that the 21-year-old Belgium winger was heading for Sunderland on a five-year contract, but then Pierre Sage led an attempt to hijack the deal. Palace’s manager coached Fofana at Lyon and forged a strong bond with a player he was keen to bring to Selhurst Park. After speaking to Sage on the phone, Fofana seemed to have changed his mind and decided he wanted to reunite with his old boss in south London. Sunderland, though, refused to surrender.
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What happened
Sunderland have secured the signing of Malick Fofana after a high-profile pursuit that also involved Crystal Palace. The deal reportedly featured both clubs deploying private jets in an effort to win the race for the player. Fofana is a notable addition for Sunderland, who are active in the transfer market as they look to strengthen their squad. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, miss out on a key target and will need to turn to alternative options.
Chance analysis
Landing a player that Crystal Palace were also aggressively pursuing represents a significant coup for Sunderland and a signal of their growing pull in the transfer market. Fofana's arrival will give their squad a notable boost heading into the new campaign, while Palace must regroup and recalibrate after losing out on a primary target in a race defined by logistical — and financial — extravagance.
Sunderland gain a new attacking option in Fofana, while Crystal Palace miss out on a priority transfer target and may need to pursue alternatives.